A molten metal, which is usually a metal alloy, is introduced in a metal-casting machine into a mold cavity, and it hardens in this, so that a metallic component corresponding to the mold cavity is formed. The metal melt is introduced here under a pressure under which the metal melt is placed.
DE 10 2012 010 923 A1 discloses a feed device for a metal melt, in which the metal melt is fed from a reservoir to a collection chamber formed in a cylinder bore, after which a piston is axially displaced in the cylinder bore, as a result of which the metal melt is pushed out of the collection chamber and reaches a continuing line, in which it is fed to the mold cavity.
The quality of the metal component manufactured with a corresponding injection molding unit depends substantially on the fact that the metal melt has a sufficient flowability on its feed path between the reservoir and the mold cavity and does not become viscous on the feed path or it does not even solidify. To achieve this, it is known that the metal melt is heated to a sufficient temperature in the reservoir in order to ensure that the metal melt still has a sufficiently high temperature and hence good flowability on its entry into the mold cavity. However, it proved to be relatively difficult in practice to ensure a sufficient temperature control and hence flowability for the large number of possible metal alloys that can be processed with the injection molding unit.